This invention relates generally to ejector systems for air launched weapons and more particularly to such systems utilizing ballistic ejector pistons and provided with variable orifices for adjusting the thrust of the pistons to provide controlled store separation.
The problem of aircraft store separation dates back to the First World War. Recently, an intensive literature search and comprehensive study of this problem showed that many problem areas related to store separation have been investigated and defined. However, no solution to the overall store separation problem has been found.
It is well recognized that after ejection of a store from an aircraft, the free-fall trajectory is sensitive to the end of stroke pitch-rate, the ejection velocity, the pitch angle, and the time duration of the ejection process. These factors can cause excessive ground impact miss distances. The problem becomes increasingly severe if the store is released at higher aircraft speed and lower ejection velocity and g-load. Relatively small pitching moment and slight changes in release condition can lead to radical changes in initial motion.
Current naval aircraft store ejectors (both missile launchers and bomb racks) utilize gas pressure supplied by ballistic cartridges to power ejector pistons. Ejection force, pitch rate, pitch angle, and initial velocity are controlled by metering the gases through orifices of fixed size. With these fixed size orifices, it is not possible to compensate for all combinations of flight parameters. These parameters include: aircraft speed, aircraft altitude, aircraft g-load, store type, store density (i.e., full versus empty fuel tank), store location (centerline, inboard, outboard, etc.), and in-carriage and interference aerodynamic forces. This inability to compensate for all flight conditions can lead to store-aircraft collisions and to the derivation of store trajectories from the desired ballistic trajectories. The fixed size orifices were selected from trial and error "ground" testing to satisfy acceleration, pitch rate, and separation requirements imposed by a spectrum of aircraft flight regimes. It is hardly conceivable that the store would hit the target without proper consideration of the exterior ballistic effects during store ejection.
Wind tunnel tests conducted as part of the Navy conformal carriage program showed that stores released from different stations underneath an F-4B scale model had different amounts of pitch. The tests also showed that ROCKEYE II dispensers released at supersonic speeds underwent an unsafe noseup motion. These motions were corrected by selecting suitable orifice areas. This suggests that variable control orifices could improve the trajectory accuracy and permit adjustments for station-to-station variation.
During prototype flight testing the SUU-51A/B bomb dispenser experienced a separation problem when released from the centerline station of an inboard triple ejector rack (TER) on an F-4 aircraft at high supersonic speeds. A violent nose down pitch caused the tail of the weapon to rise and contact the tails of weapons on the adjacent shoulder stations. It was concluded that a dual piston, high impulse, tunable ejector system offered the most promising solution to a long-range store separation problem.